The masked man claimed to be Uchiha Madara.
Under the gaze of the Mangekyō Sharingan, doubt itself seemed to wither. At least for this moment—until another Uchiha Madara bearing the Mangekyō appeared—whoever this man claimed to be, he was.
Enjin withdrew his earlier words. He fell silent for a brief moment, then spoke again, his voice low and controlled.
"What do you intend to do?"
"Shatter this false peace," the masked man replied calmly, "and create a world that truly belongs to the Uchiha."
Konoha Village.
The Hokage's office.
Tsunade studied Enjin closely. Though there were faint signs of travel about him, his expression was unnervingly calm. Kakashi and Itachi stood nearby, their attention fixed on him as well.
After the Anbu activated the emergency contact method Enjin had left behind, he had appeared within the allotted time, responding promptly to the summons.
Reports from Shisui soon followed: everything was normal in the Fire Capital. The Uchiha squad under his command showed no unusual activity.
"How is the investigation into the stolen Sharingan progressing?" Tsunade asked.
"No new findings so far," Enjin replied.
That answer was reasonable—he had been gone for only a short time.
But while that span was too brief to uncover concrete leads about the Sharingan, it was more than sufficient for other purposes.
Such as meeting someone.
"According to the latest intelligence," Tsunade continued, deliberately reiterating old information, "the theft of the Sharingan may be linked to a special infiltration-type ninjutsu. You may begin your next phase of investigation from that angle."
"Yes. I understand," Enjin replied without hesitation.
He asked no questions.
At Tsunade's signal, he turned and exited the office.
Once the door closed, the three remaining figures exchanged glances.
"He's definitely problematic," Tsunade said flatly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
Kakashi nodded. Although the connection between the stolen Sharingan and infiltration-type ninjutsu wasn't new, an emergency recall paired with a new investigative direction should have prompted at least a few clarifying questions from any serious ninja.
Enjin had shown none.
That unnatural calm was itself suspicious. Someone who had volunteered for the mission should not have been so indifferent to concrete clues.
"Send another Anbu squad," Tsunade ordered. "Include members of the Hyūga Branch Family. Initiate a second round of tracking."
Then her gaze shifted to the silent Itachi.
"Itachi," she said, "you'll need to keep a closer watch on movements within the Uchiha compound."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Itachi replied quietly.
—
Mountains outside Kumogakure.
Land of Lightning.
Roshi's Wood Clone returned once more to the location where he had previously sensed the abnormal barrier.
His first task was simple—he collected the tree seeds he had left behind when the clone had been dispelled earlier.
Then he surveyed the surroundings with care.
Aside from the traces he himself had left, there was no sign that anyone else had visited the area.
That meant the barrier's activation last time had not drawn guards, investigators, or even casual inspection.
Which strongly suggested that it had not been placed by Kumogakure—nor by any known ninja clan within the Land of Lightning. If it had, someone would have checked on it by now.
With that conclusion reached, Roshi turned his full attention to the invisible barrier.
Barrier ninjutsu shared deep ties with sealing techniques and curse marks. Roshi had spent considerable time studying sealing arts and possessed a solid grasp of barrier fundamentals.
After careful sensing and analysis, he reached a clear conclusion.
This was not a defensive barrier.
Nor was it meant to issue warnings.
It was a concealment barrier—a heuristic construct designed to hide something.
Most likely, it concealed an entrance.
Under normal circumstances, Roshi had several methods to forcibly activate or dismantle the barrier. But this location lay too close to Kumogakure. Even if the barrier had no direct connection to the village, any excessive disturbance would risk drawing unwanted attention.
Which left only one option.
A slow, subtle approach.
—
"Itachi?"
The soft call pulled Itachi out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see Izumi standing beside him.
She tilted her head slightly, concern evident in her expression. "You don't seem to be in a very good mood."
"…Mm." Itachi neither denied it nor offered an explanation.
The plan his captain had set in motion was already a comparatively gentle solution to the long-standing tension between the Uchiha Clan and the Village.
And yet, the existence of the radical faction could not be denied.
Even after being suppressed, diverted, and restrained through various measures, that group—and the ideas it embodied—continued to exist stubbornly, like an invisible wall wedged between the Clan and the Village.
The Fifth Hokage had not adopted any extreme stance toward the Uchiha as a whole, even in light of Enjin's abnormal behavior.
But as an Uchiha himself, Itachi could not help but sense the undercurrents beneath the surface.
Would the dissatisfaction festering within the Clan be reignited by some unforeseen catalyst?
"Is it because of a mission?" Izumi stepped a little closer, her voice lowered further.
"…Mm." Itachi paused, then asked, "Have there been any unusual discussions within the Clan recently?"
As a member of the Anbu, most of his attention was devoted to monitoring his squad and guarding the Hokage Building. Compared to Izumi—who moved freely within the Clan Compound—he was far less attuned to the day-to-day sentiments circulating among the clan members.
Izumi thought carefully, counting on her fingers as she recalled what she'd heard.
"Well… aside from the police force adding new teams again…"
"And people talking about when the Ninja Academy might recruit teachers next."
"Some are also wondering if the Village will open other departments to us."
"And…" She hesitated, clearly trying to remember anything else that might be important.
Itachi listened in silence.
Most clan members were still focused on matters closely tied to their everyday lives.
In the past, when the Uchiha had been quietly isolated, their options were limited. Naturally, their attention could only settle on the police force.
But now, the situation had begun to change.
Paths were opening. Choices were increasing.
Yet would Enjin—and those who shared his beliefs—see this shift?
Would they understand the mindset of the ordinary clan members, who desired nothing more than stability and were eager to seize the opportunities finally placed before them?
Would they recognize the intention behind his captain's restrained, conciliatory approach—one that deliberately avoided direct confrontation?
And if they did not…
If they continued down their own uncompromising path, would the conflict they provoked eventually consume everything the Clan had only just begun to regain?
Would all the efforts and sacrifices made by his captain, by Lady Tsunade, and by Shisui—each striving in their own way to resolve the Uchiha's long-standing wounds—ultimately amount to nothing?
If his captain were still here—
The man who had always believed in acting early, in controlling problems before they spiraled—
What choice would he make when faced with a crisis quietly taking root within the Clan itself?
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